Medicare ECLIPSE usage doubles

Written on 12 June 2011.

Medicare Australia's Electronic Claim Lodgement Information Processing Service Environment (ECLIPSE) has doubled in usage since January last year, with recent figures showing that 30 per cent of all In-Patient Medical Claims were lodged through the electronic system.

ECLIPSE is an extension to Medicare's online claiming servers, in which In-patient Medical Claims are lodged directly through practice management software and processed simultaneously with Medicare and the private health fund.

In-patient Medical Claims are for medical items from in-hospital care where benefits may be payable by both Medicare, and the patient's private health fund.

All private health insurers currently use the ECLIPSE system for In-Patient Medical Claims.

It provides a secure connection between practices, hospitals, billing agents, Medicare and the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and private health funds.

A spokesperson for Medicare Australia says that "there are many benefits for both doctors and patients who submit claims through this system, including fewer claim rejections, better quality of data, reduced administration and faster processing and payment."